[The Black Pearl]

The Holy Trinity has gone, the agnostics of Crouch and Walter return to long ball heaven!

[AlbionBest]

The Holy Trinity has gone, the agnostics of Crouch and Walter return to long ball heaven!

I'd like to think we played a major part in destroying that ridiculous myth !   

[TheJacko2000]

It's dawning on a few of them they're still just an average mid table Premier League side...

[Black Country Pride]

Despite the years of rubbish results against them and the fact that they have some deluded fans I was hoping they'd stuff Liverpool. Better second half but a damp squib overall. Also how pooh was the atmosphere considering it was a semi-final? Still in it at 0-1 though...

[AlbionBest]

Despite the years of rubbish results against them and the fact that they have some deluded fans I was hoping they'd stuff Liverpool. Better second half but a damp squib overall. Also how pooh was the atmosphere considering it was a semi-final? Still in it at 0-1 though...

the atmosphere

Another great Stoke myth as anyone who has been up there over the past 4/5 seasons will testify to.

[FallOutBoy]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if Stoke are hitting a nerve with some people.

For most of the last few years, it's been that we play the football and they win the games. Now the roles have been reversed, and we're beating them the way they used to do to us - but it's like we've had to stoop to their level to do it, while being jealous that they have some decent footballers in Shaquiri, Bojan, and Arnautovic. And the bitchiness and seeming joy people are taking in their misfortune is actually people trying to convince themselves that the way we do things now is better. They have kicked on while we seem to be treading water.

[TheJacko2000]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if Stoke are hitting a nerve with some people.

For most of the last few years, it's been that we play the football and they win the games. Now the roles have been reversed, and we're beating them the way they used to do to us - but it's like we've had to stoop to their level to do it, while being jealous that they have some decent footballers in Shaquiri, Bojan, and Arnautovic. And the bitchiness and seeming joy people are taking in their misfortune is actually people trying to convince themselves that the way we do things now is better. They have kicked on while we seem to be treading water.

Go and have a gander on the Oatcake, if you mean by kicking on they could now challenge for the Champions League then you'll fit right in. Out fought and outplayed on Saturday, out thought and outplayed tonight. They're 3 points ahead of us having scored one more goal. Yet they were predicting 3/4 nil wins against both ourselves and Liverpool.

[Legend]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if Stoke are hitting a nerve with some people.

For most of the last few years, it's been that we play the football and they win the games. Now the roles have been reversed, and we're beating them the way they used to do to us - but it's like we've had to stoop to their level to do it, while being jealous that they have some decent footballers in Shaquiri, Bojan, and Arnautovic. And the bitchiness and seeming joy people are taking in their misfortune is actually people trying to convince themselves that the way we do things now is better. They have kicked on while we seem to be treading water.

How have they kicked on, they are in a similar position to us.

[leeiswba]

They have got on my nerves the last week or so but even I wanted them to win tonight, except for the wolves I don't think there is a set of fans I despise more than the victims.

[B_H_Baggie]

They haven't really kicked on significantly, they have managed to just break into the top 10 the last couple of seasons but prior to that they were always around the 13th position mark. They have added some decent flair players over the last couple of years but the spine of the side was already there to be built on.

[FallOutBoy]

How have they kicked on, they are in a similar position to us.

Not quite. They no longer have any real relegation worries - they are looking at higher goals. We, meanwhile, only have a mission to stay in the division, despite finishing 11th, 10th, and 8th in successive seasons a while ago.

They also look to improve the squad consistently, while our own has stagnated.

[FallOutBoy]

They have added some decent flair players over the last couple of years but the spine of the side was already there to be built on.

And that's how they've kicked on. Just being solid wasn't enough any more - they wanted some flair and creativity.

[B_H_Baggie]

And that's how they've kicked on. Just being solid wasn't enough any more - they wanted some flair and creativity.

They weren't just solid before though, they always had decent enough wingers and weren't too bad up front they have just had the benefit of finishing well most seasons making them a more attractive proposition than they once were its natural evolution of a squad if anything.

If we had been finishing comfortable mid table for a few years with the financial backing they have I would have expected us to be able to compete to sign the kind of players they have the last couple of years. Unfortunately we don't have that financial backing and we have flirted massively with relegation the last couple of seasons after mismanagement from the top of the club that we are only just starting to get sorted out.

[Legend]

Not quite. They no longer have any real relegation worries - they are looking at higher goals. We, meanwhile, only have a mission to stay in the division, despite finishing 11th, 10th, and 8th in successive seasons a while ago.

They also look to improve the squad consistently, while our own has stagnated.

If we had just finished 8th the season before I'd agree with you but we were a team on the decline, finishing 17th and being in 16th when Pulis came in. Seeing us bring in players like Fletcher, Evans and Rondon under TP is improvement for me.

[crazedwbafan18]

You know, I'm starting to wonder if Stoke are hitting a nerve with some people.

For most of the last few years, it's been that we play the football and they win the games. Now the roles have been reversed, and we're beating them the way they used to do to us - but it's like we've had to stoop to their level to do it, while being jealous that they have some decent footballers in Shaquiri, Bojan, and Arnautovic. And the bitchiness and seeming joy people are taking in their misfortune is actually people trying to convince themselves that the way we do things now is better. They have kicked on while we seem to be treading water.

In fairness, their squad probably is better than ours, but in the long run, i cant see Bojan or Shaqiri sticking around. For me though, its the sheer bitterness since we beat them on saturday that has done it. Crying out for a replay because of the Yacob incident. They just hate losing to us, and when you look at our overall record against them since we came back up, you can see why, they've only beaten us once at the Britannia, whereas we've beaten them at theirs twice, and drawn three times. For a team 'that always beats west brom', it's a funny stat to have.

[BigFrank20]

Strange change in tune  and attitude in Staffordshire now the boot is on the other elbow!

http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/252474/shawcross-snidy-elbow

[B_H_Baggie]

Strange change in tune  and attitude in Staffordshire now the boot is on the other elbow!

http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/252474/shawcross-snidy-elbow

I expect it would have been rescinded on appeal as there is a clear precedent for this kind of thing after last Saturday. As for Shawcross, he's a decent enough defender but never a footballer that lad.

[WBAinDEVON]

over inflated.over rated, nowt special.Mark Hughes period comes to an end next season. hes similar to Steve Bruce, a bit of a surge then goes flat after a few seasons

[Chipperfan]

Heard on Radio Stoke this evening (travelling south on the M6, back to God's country from Manchester) that Arnautovic is looking for £100k per week. Like one Stokie on the radio phone in said, he's asking that for producing one game in four.

There's your problem, with modern football, right there.

[Standaman]

Arnautovic is a very good player on his day a bit like Sess the key part of that statement is the qualifying "on his day"  but how frequently is his day? A £100k a week would imply quite frequently. The question for Stoke and by extension ourselves because we are a similar sized club is should you pay it and if you don't will somebody else?

Firstly mid-table premier league clubs are edging slowly towards the £100,000 a week footballer if reports were true about the £70,000 a week we were prepared to pay Ba then a £100,000 isn't that far fetched. The TV deal will propel the top earners at teams like Stoke close to that figure, Aranutovic knows this and is just laying down a marker.

Secondly will other clubs pay Aranutovic what he wants? The clubs that habitually pay £100,000 a week even to players who are not among their best and brightest are few and far between and none that aren't champions league regulars outside England.

I think Stoke could and should call his agent's bluff on this because there is simply nobody else who will stump up that sort of money particularly with a big fee involved. All that said football has a habit of astounding me when it comes to these matters.

[Legend]

Stoke were the better team and deserved to go through. Never mind though. 

[TheJacko2000]

Stoke were the better team and deserved to go through. Never mind though. 

Not sure how you figure that out, their only shot on target was an offside goal?

[caravanc58]

bless, the London bin dippers can have a day out.

[crazedwbafan18]

Urgh their pride in their team despite losing makes me jealous. If that were us at anfield we would bottle it I'm sure.

[Hull Baggie]

Urgh their pride in their team despite losing makes me jealous. If that were us at anfield we would bottle it I'm sure.

Why we were very unlucky not to win there ourselves.